Button-hole attachment for sewing-machines



(Model.) Y

J. 11. PALMER. BUTTON-HOLE ATTACHMENT POR SEWING MACHINES.

Patented 11mg. 11` 1885.

N. PETERS. FhoLihagmphur, Washington. D1C.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. PALMER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BUTTON-HOLE ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,150, dated August 11,1885.

Application filed January` 9,1885. (Model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. PALMER, o the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania. have invented an Improvement in Button-Hole Attach ments for Sewing- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to button-hole attachments for sewing-machines; and it consists in certain improvements for vibrating the clamp or cloth-holder, rotating the feed-wheel, and deriving the necessary intermittent vibrations and rotations from the needle-bar of the sewing-machine, all of which is fully set forth in the following specification, and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form part thereof.

The object of this invention is to construct a simple form of button-hole attachments to sewing-machines adapted to attachment on any machine, and the parts of which may be nearly all stamped from sheet metal, thus reducing the cost to a minimum.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a button-hole attachment embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan view of same. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of same on line x x. Fig. 4 is a plan View, and Fig, 5 an elevation, of the adjustable hinge for regulating the throw o f the pawl for operating the intermittent feedingwheel; and Fig. 6 is an elevation otthe preferred way of forming the cam-wheel by which the necessary intermittent vibrations are derived from the reciprocation of the needle-bar.

The first feature of importance is a plan for converting the vertical reciprocating Inovement of a needle-bar into a horizontal reciprocating movement ofaslide or bar from which the vibratory movement of the clamp is afterward obtained, and this is accomplished in the following manner, referring to t-he drawings herewith: The lever A and A is made in two parts, having the fnlcrum at B, and is provided with adj usting-screws at A2, for the purpose of regulating the amount of vibration of the short arm A of the said lever, which is connected by the pin G to the radius-lever C", carrying the pawl C that engages the ratchetwheel c, the pawl C being caused to move about the ratchet-wl1eel by means ofthe radiuslever C2. The ratchet-wheel c is securely attached to the cam D, which has an uneven number of projections, (l, and a corresponding number of depressions upon its outer edge, the number of such projections and depressions being uneven, so that when the cam D is placed between the opposite rounded surfaces e of the slide or bar E and lturned round upon its fnlcrum-pin f the slide or bar E is caused to reciprocate in the guides F on the base-plate F. It is necessary that the reciprocat-ion of the slide or bar E should be in proportion to the vibrations of the lever A and A as one to two, and to secure this proportion the number of teeth on the ratchet-wheel c is twicethat or the projections on the cam D; and as the ratchet-wheel c is advanced .in its rotation one tooth by each full vibration of the lever A A it follows that the slide or bar E is moved one part of its reciprocation only for each full vibration of the lever A A. The cam D and the ratchet-wheel c are secured to a part of the base-plate F', which is turned up at right angles and marked E', which part is a continuation of the base-plate and forlns a guide for the reciprocating plate E.

The second part of my invention consists of means to vibrate the cloth-holder or clamplever, and is secured as follows: To the baseplate F the leverG is pivoted by its fnlcrumpin g, and carries the movable short arm g', which is secured thereto by the screw H and held in position by the guides h. The short arm g is movable, so that the amount of Vibration of the clamp bearing slides or levers I Q, with which the short arm g of the lever G engages at t', can be varied. The leverG is passed through the slide or bar E at e', and is actuated by it.

The third part of this improvement is a device for securing and regulating the intermittent rotation of a feed-wheel, which can either be toothed or in the form of a friction'clnt-ch mechanism, and I have designed the following arrangement of parts to accomplish the desired end. To the base-plate F is secured the pin l, which serves asa fnlcrum to the lever L, one end ot' which passes through the reciprocating slide or bar E at Z and is actuated'by it. The other end is loosely connected by the adjustable guides m m to the pawl bearing lever M, which has as its fnlcrum the same pin M upon which the feed-Wheel K IOO rotates intermittently. The amount of such intermittent rotation can be varied by moving the guides m m along the levers L and M, the upper guide, m, being provided with a clampscrew, a, by which it can be retained in any desirable position upon the lever M, while the lever L is free to slide in the guide m. The guides m and m are provided with a common fulcrum-pin upon which they can both turn.

I is the cloth-clamp, and is connected to the lever Q, having a slot, Q', in which a pin and block, I', secured to the vibrating lever I, works; but the lever I is simply a vibrating lever, while the lever Q is avibrating and reciprocating lever, its vibrations being imparted by the pin I and a cam, I", and its reeiprocations imparted by a cam, I3, which cams are secured to a feed-wheel, K; but in this application I do not lay any particular claim to the construction of these levers, the invention relating to the mechanism by which the proper motions are imparted to these levers.

In practice I prefer to construct the intermittent cam-wheel D as shown in Fig. 6, for in this construction the projections d operate upon the parts e of the sliding plate in a positive manner, so that it is impossible for the plate to move excepting at the right time, and then, too, in a most positive manner.

\Vhile I prefer the specific construction shown, I do not limit myself to the details thereof, as they may be modified in various ways without departing from my invention, and, if desired, the bottom of the plate F may be provided with plate F2, (see Fie. 1,) which slides into the guides on the sewing-machine and secures the button-hole attachment where the needle-bar plate was formerly located.

In this application I do not claim anything set forth or shown in the patents to Mills, No. 805,624-, of 1884, and No. 813,358, of 1885, or Gilbert, No. 306,604., of 1884.

Having new described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a button-hole attachment for a sewing-machine, a horizontal reciprocating plate, in combination with a vertical reciprocating needle-bar, cam mechanism, substantially as set forth, to reciprocate said plate, jointed lever mechanism, substantially as shown, by which the vertical reciprocations of the needle-bar are converted into horizontal reciprocations of the said plate, a cloth-clamp, lever mechanism therefor, and connecting devices, substantially as shown, connecting said horizout-ally-reeiprocating plate with said lever mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose specilied.

2. The cam D, having an uneven number of proicctions, il, having curved faces made concentric with the axis of the cam, so that the working-faces are of sufficient length to allow for wear and loose play in the parts, in combi nation with asliding plate, E, having two fixed points, e, working on the face ofthe cam and separated a distance substantially equal .to the pitch diameter of the cam, the clothclamp, its operating-levers, substantially as set forth, mechanism and connecting mechanism, substantially as described, whereby the cloth-clampoperating levers are opera-ted by the reciprocating sliding plate, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The cam D, having an uneven number of projections, d, having curved faces made concentric with the axis of the cam, so that the working-faces are of sufficient length to allow for wear and loose play in the parts, and a ratchet-wheel, c, secured to the cam and having twice as many teeth as the cam projections, and pawl mechanism to intermittently rotate said ratchet-wheel one tooth at a time, the cloth-clamp, its operating-levers, substantially as set forth, mechanism and connecting mechanism, substantially as described, whereby the clothclamp-operating levers are operated by the reciprocating sliding plate, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. rIhe combination of the needle-bar with lever A, lever A', having stops A, lever C,

' having pawl C', ratchet-wheel c, cam D, sliding plate E, the cloth-clamp, its operatinglevers, substantially as set forth, mechanism and connecting mechanism, substantially as described, whereby the cloth-clamp-operating levers are operated by the reciprocating sliding plate, substantially as and for the purpose specified. y

5. The combination of the needle-bar with lever A, lever A, having adjustable stops A2, lever C2, having pawl C', ratchet-wheel c, cam

IOO

D, sliding plate E, the cloth-clamp, its operating-levers, substantially as set forth, mechanisni and connecting mechanism, substantially as described, whereby the cloth-clampoperating levers are operated by the reciproeating sliding plate, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination of reciprocating plate E, levers L M, adjustable connections m m, a feed wheel, and connecting mechanism by which the oscillations of the lever M rotate the feed-wheel, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. The combination of reciprocating plate E with lever G, adjustable part g', and pivoted cloth-holding levers, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony of" which invention I hereunto set my hand.

JOHN H. PALMER. lVitnesses:

It. M. HUNTER, WILLIAM C. Marne. 

